More Bongo gig pics (Monkeee content)

[bassmonkeee]

Played a great gig (3 hours+) last night at one of the better blues venues in Atlanta (www.darwinsblues.com). Made a ton of $$$ and got a bunch of gigs lined up, too. There's even a chance we'll be playing their blues festival in June with some national acts.

The Black Sapphire Bongo ruled the roost with a little help from my CS PBass. I think my new blue pearl pickguard glows in the dark:

The Mesa/Schroeder rig is phenominal. I had it on 4 and was able to fill the 150 capacity room with booty shaking low end with no PA support.

The bass was made for flatwounds, and the Sadowsky flats have quickly become my favorite flats. This bass is simply a joy to play.

A couple of action shots with my guitar player ripping the roof off the place while making goofy faces:

Damn I got fat over the winter...gotta do something about that.

Okay, this isn't the Bongo--I just think it's odd how I appear to have grown a beard for this one picture...Gotta love the ol' thumb-wrapped-over-the-neck, too!

I can't wait to get the Bongo in the studio this summer.

 

[pattiejay]

nice set there dude...the p'guard really does seems to be emitting a glow or somethin...

i'm jealous of the walkabout you hav there, as well as the schroeder - we don't hav those cabs here, i think...

wat strap are you using with the bongo there? i need a comfy strap for my bass...

 

[bovinehost]

Man, I do love Bongo gig pics.

Jason! Were you planning on hibernating, dude?

 

[Aussie Mark]

Great pics, other than the length (or lack thereof) of your strap

Don't be embarrassed by the thumb, I do exactly the same thing, to mute the E string on those rare occasions that I'm playing the other strings.

 

[Franky]

i roll my thumb over like sometimes, its a bad habbit, but its how it sounds in the end.

 

[bovinehost]

Note the thumb:

I do have good technique when I think about it, but when I'm not thinking about it? Like when I'm trying to sing? Fuggetaboutit.

I hope that we are living proof that your technique can be "off" and you can still be a really good bassist.

If not, well......

 

[Aussie Mark]

Like I said, the thumb is a useful tool for the fretting hand at times. Seriously, it makes a great mute for the E string ......

 

[midopa]

Cool gig pics! Good to hear you've got a line of gigs and "a ton of $$$"!

Re: The thumb issue: My right thumb either rests on the E string or slanted on the D string, so as to mute the E sting at the same time, whenever I'm playing any of the higher strings. My left thumb is always hiding behind the fretboard!

 

[bassmonkeee]

Man, I do love Bongo gig pics.

Jason! Were you planning on hibernating, dude?

Italian girlfriend + holiday cookies = Fat Jason

Good God, Man. You've seen the meatballs....

 

[bassmonkeee]

Great pics, other than the length (or lack thereof) of your strap

Don't be embarrassed by the thumb, I do exactly the same thing, to mute the E string on those rare occasions that I'm playing the other strings.

It's funny--a couple of months ago, the bass was lower with the same strap length (see Fat Jason post above ).

And, it was just an observation with the thumb. I've had no wrist, or arm problems, and my technique certainly hasn't suffered. I don't have my thumb wrapped around when I'm playing above the 8th fret, or so. Apart from the noodle bass players, I think I've seen more players who wrap their thumbs on occassion than players who don't. There are so many other factors that are more important, I think. Hell--we've all got gigs, right?

 

[bassmonkeee]

nice set there dude...the p'guard really does seems to be emitting a glow or somethin...

i'm jealous of the walkabout you hav there, as well as the schroeder - we don't hav those cabs here, i think...

wat strap are you using with the bongo there? i need a comfy strap for my bass...

The Walkabout/Schroeder rig is pretty amazing. I installed an Ampeg Portabass dolly on the Schroeder, so I don't have to carry it (even if it is only 47 lbs).

Throw the Walkabout gigbag on top of that, and the Dubbag over my shoulder with both basses, and you've got yourself one easy load in/out--especially handy after the aforementioned 3 hour + gigs.

The strap is a 4" Moody strap that I got for cheap used. New they run about $80. While I got this one for a steal, I'm impressed enough with the quality that I will probably spring for another one at some point in brown for the White Whale...

 

[bassmonkeee]

Cool gig pics! Good to hear you've got a line of gigs and "a ton of $$$"!

Re: The thumb issue: My right thumb either rests on the E string or slanted on the D string, so as to mute the E sting at the same time, whenever I'm playing any of the higher strings. My left thumb is always hiding behind the fretboard!

"Ton of $$$" is relative, of course.

 

[Freddy-G.]

I noticed that Darwin's is going to have non-smoking shows. What a great idea. Now that I think of it, I'll probably die early from all the smoke I've inhaled over the years in the bars I've played in.

Very cool setup you got there.

 

[bassmonkeee]

I noticed that Darwin's is going to have non-smoking shows. What a great idea. Now that I think of it, I'll probably die early from all the smoke I've inhaled over the years in the bars I've played in.

Very cool setup you got there.

Yeah, the first set was smoke free. That was nice. Apparently, smoking was mandatory for the second set...

 

[MingusBASS]

We just had a smoking ban go into effect in Minneapolis and I'm loving it so far. I just hope it doesn't drive people away from gigs.

Andrew

 

[blackspy]

We've had it where I live for a couple of years now. The smoking bans that is. It does drive away people from the clubs/bars. Maybe not every night, but if you hit them often enough, you notice the difference. Even the ones who do show up, end up spending half the night out on the patios, where available, and where smoking is allowed. Personally, I think it sucks.

 

[bassmonkeee]

We've had it where I live for a couple of years now. The smoking bans that is. It does drive away people from the clubs/bars. Maybe not every night, but if you hit them often enough, you notice the difference. Even the ones who do show up, end up spending half the night out on the patios, where available, and where smoking is allowed. Personally, I think it sucks.

And, yet, every smoke free club that I've gone into in NYC and GA has been packed to the gills.

 

[blackspy]

Probably doesn't affect larger centers as much, but in a smaller areas you see the difference. Where I live there's a population of under 60,000.

 

[AnthonyD]

Seems to be two hot topics going on here...

[smoking]
Not a fan, never have been, prefer not to be around it. Hasn't been an issue for my "gigs", which are usually in church!
[/smoking]


[thumb]
Personally, I think the whole "keep it perpendicular to the back of the neck and pivot at the elbow" thing is a bit over-rated. Sure I think about it, but more often than not that's it... I think about it...
[/thumb]